JAKARTA, 22 july 2022 (TATOLI) – Haedar Nashir, the current leader of Muhammadiyah, a major Islamic non-governmental organization in Indonesia, and the second largest Muslim religious organization in the world expressed his support for Timor-Leste’s bid for ASEAN membership.
Haedar Nashir expressed his support in a friendly meeting with the President of the Republic Jose Ramos Horta in Jakarta, Indonesia.
During his State visit to Indonesia, President Horta nominated Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah for Noble Peace Prize.
Horta considered Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah to be the two major Islamic non-governmental organizations that played an important role in promoting peace.
“We shared with President Horta about the good relations between Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Indonesia considered Timor-Leste as a brother country because both nations have many things in common, for instance, culture. Thus, we express our strong support for Timor-Leste’s bid for ASEAN membership. We hope Timor-Leste will become the new member of ASEAN in the near future,” Haedar Nashir said in a statement posted on Horta’s Facebook Page, yesterday.
Haeder Nashir said Timor-Leste and Muhammadiyah need to cooperate in the sectors of education, health, and humanitarian principles.
President Horta said he knew well about NU and Muhammadiyah since he met the top leaders of both organizations when speaking at an international conference in France.
“Today, I would like to recognize the humanitarian work performed by these two organizations, particularly on the promotion of tolerance, peace, and democracy. I pay my respect to all of your work and efforts for the promotion of the national dialogue and peace in Indonesia, the Southeast Region, and the world. I would continue supporting these two organizations to receive the Noble Peace Prize, UNESCO Awards, and Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in the future,” said Horta.
Horta reiterated that NU and Muhammadiyah have made a significant contribution to the promotion of peace and stability in the Southeast Asia Region.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
